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Sunday, March 29, 2009

As far as painting goes, I only got these Burna Boyz done. Now I have a mob of 4 Burnas + 1 Mek. Need to go buy more boxes and get this unit up to 15. >:)

On a totally different topic, I seriously began work on converting up what will be my SM Terminator Captain. You can see what he's currently like below:

I used the Marneus Calgar body, which is tilted considerably forward. To compensate for this, I built the base up at a slight angle to give us a better view of his majesty. I filed off most of the more obvious Ultramarine symbols. The rest will be fine with a careful paint-job.

I've seen a few of you out there using Dreadnought leg-plates as shoulderpads for a Termie character. It's a great idea, so I naturally stole it ;)

And of course if you guys know me AT ALL, you know he's magnetized. :)

Friday, March 20, 2009

I have been just ridiculously sick this past 2 weeks. It's rough. A few days I would stay home from work thinking to myself "omg, I'll get sooo much painting done" only to crash on the sofa and sleep for the whole day (mainly why things have been so slow here lately). This is really draining. Anyways, I thought I'd share some things I've got sitting on the back-burner with you guys; give you an idea of what's coming up, what I'm working on, etc.

1. As most people are, of course, I'm anxiously awaiting the May release of IG. I have my commander all picked out already (the Cadian commander from Forgeworld). It's an awesome model. When the new codex is finally out and in my hands, you'll start seeing "Imperial Guard" as one of the options in the poll on the left. I've had a few emails asking me if I was ever going to add them. :)

2. Still painting those Burna Boyz I did color tests on. Also, I assembled and magnetized a box of 5 Nobs. The combi-guns are a real pain to get in right. I'll have to take special care to position a few models specifically for the combi-guns in the next box (I need 10 Nobs).

3. Looks like SM are winning the current poll. It'll probably be the HQ selection: Librarian. Lots of new and cool things in there.

4. I got Adobe Creative Suite 4 last week, and have been playing around with it a bit. Mainly, the bit that makes me the most excited is Illustrator's ability to "Live Trace," effectively turning any pixelated(raster) scan of a drawing I did into a vector image. Normally, when I would try and do color-quality comics, the process was endlessly long. I would draw the pictures, scan them in, and then re-draw on a second layer with a Wacom Tablet to get a clean line-tracing to work with. Now, that last step is a mere button-click. I've already drawn up a new 40k comic to test it on ... so you guys will start getting color comics now! Expect that to be done sometime next week. ;)

... normally, I give you guys a picture with each post, as I don't want to just bore everyone with a wall of text, but I really have nothing directly related to what I've talked about... so I'll leave you with this gem I found on the internet a while ago:

Saturday, March 14, 2009

Sternguard are a unit capable of extreme versatility and when used properly, very powerful firepower. They are an Elites unit, so we'll be comparing them to other Elites as far as their capabilities...
WS 4, BS 4, S 4, T 4, W 1, I 4, A 2, Ld 9, Sv 3+
I think the part that surprises me the most is the 2 base attacks. They're clearly a shooty unit, yet they're as effective in close combat as a standard Assault Squad (1 base attack + cc weapon). This means that while you have them playing the midfield tearing up the opponent with your Special Issue Ammunition, don't worry about potential assaults. They're veterans, and can handle themselves.
To better assist possible assaults, you can trade your Sergeant's pistol for a power weapon or power fist ... allowing him to continue firing a Bolter when you're not assaulting.
Sternguard Veterans cost 25 points a model. While expensive when compared to normal Space Marines, they're still very cost effective compared to another Elites mainstay: Terminators (40 points/model). Sternguard Veterans is the Elites option for when you need decent firepower and can't afford Terminators. I would also argue that their Special Issue Ammunition gives them a versatility that even the Terminators don't have.Special Issue AmmunitionPerhaps the cheesiest ability offered in the new SM codex, which is awesome for you SM players... but something you non-marines really need to be aware of.
The Sternguard come with several types of ammunition. EACH TIME the unit fires, it CAN CHOOSE WHICH TYPE it's using!
First up, they have available normal Bolter rounds: 24" S4, AP5, Rapid FireDragonfire Bolts: 24" S4, AP5, Rapid Fire, Ignores CoverIGNORES Cover! Who needs flamers, yeah? Rapid Fire and ignores cover!

Vengeance Rounds: 18" S4, AP3, Rapid Fire, Gets Hot!Anti-Power Armour.
With all the options available to them, there is virtually no unit type that they do NOT have an ammunition for! MEQs? Vengeance Rounds. 4+ armour save? Kraken Bolts. High Toughness(Tyranids/Wraithlord)? Hellfire Rounds. Enemy in cover? Dragonfire Bolts.

Yeesh. Given all the above come free with the unit, I almost laughed when I saw that you can have squad members replace their bolters for other special weapons. You have nearly everything here! Why give up that versatility for a flamer? I might understand a meltagun or the heavy options (Heavy Bolter, Lascannon) but by giving some squad members heavy weapons, you deny the unit the ability to fully maximize on those ammo types by not allowing them to move about the field as much. A squad of Sternguard needs to be constantly on the move, applying their specificly deadly firepower where it's needed most each round.

That said, the option to take combi-weapons adds some interesting capabilites while not simultaneously removing their option to use Special Issue Ammunition.

In a squad of 10 Sternguard, you can add in 4 combi-meltas for just a mere 20 points. This gives them the advantage of being able to deal with units they otherwise couldn't (vehicles, and 2+ armor saves.) (Thank you, Pcrackenhead)

Let's compare them to some other Elites.

Terminators

Point for point, a unit of Sternguard are not only able to put out more firepower, but put out a specific type of firepower that denies an opponent's strength (whether that's cover, 4+ save, 3+ save, Toughness 8, etc.). Yet this does not in any way make the Terminators obsolete or a bad choice. What makes the Terminators worthwhile is the blend of firepower, close-combat ability and the 2+ save. They have a different role to play.

Dreadnoughts

Dreadnoughts also occupy a different role than Sternguard: mainly as anti-tank/vehicle. If you're taking an anti-personnel variant, the Sternguard can probably do that job better, but again: neither option completely dominates the other in terms of viability. An Elites slot would be well spent either way.

Legion of The Damned

This is perhaps the Elites unit whose role overlaps the most with Sternguard. Their cost is comparable; they have the ability to Deep Strike, yet cost about the same as a Sternguard unit if you bought them a Drop Pod. Where they differ is that they trade the Sternguard's deadly ammo options for a 3+invulnerable save and Slow and Purposeful. Slow and Purposeful allows them to shoot as if stationary despite moving. Equipping them with some heavy weaponry would make a lot out of this, giving them strong firepower ... yet still not as efficient as the Sternguard's versatile options.

Neither option is "better" than the other in my opinion. It's a question of what do you want out of the unit. Strong and versatile firepower? Strong firepower and survivability?

Using Your Sternguard
First up, I would suggest maximizing the squad. If you're going to take a unit (goes for any of them) in your army, don't half-ass it. Maximize the squad size and/or take multiple copies of that unit. Make that selection viable and strong. 5 Sternguard might be a nuisance, but 10? Imagine the possibilities...
20 shots into a group of Pathfinders, denying them their cover save...
20 shots into a squad of CSM, denying them their armour save...
10 shots at 30" range into a Firewarrior squad, wounding on 3+ AND denying them armour save...
20 shots into a Wraithlord, all wounding on a 2+...

It's a scary thought. The key here is not only making it a viable option with numbers, but make sure that if you field them, that YOU KNOW THEIR CAPABILITIES. Memorize those ammo options! The last thing you want is a missed opportunity to seriously bring the hurt.

If your opponent fields one of these, I would suggest you take steps to either get rid of it fast, or get out of its LOS.

One last thing...

As if all this wasn't enough... if you take the special character Pedro Kantor as one of your HQ choices, he has a rule "Hold the Line!" which makes any Sternguard Veteran Squads you have count as SCORING UNITS.

Monday, March 9, 2009

I have a lot of unpainted Orks sitting around. So many that the thought alone of attempting multi-step layering techniques is a real momentum-killer. So, I've been fooling around with the washes to get good looking results in easy 2 or 3-step processes. Hopefully this way I'll be able to paint large numbers of Orks fast enough that it won't hurt me just to think about how many I still have to paint.

I conducted a quick test on my three remaining unpainted Burna Boyz to find a skin-tone that I like. I thought you all would enjoy seeing the results. All three were basecoated in a different color, then washed with Thraka Green. That's it. The only difference here is the basecoat:

Personally I prefer the Gretchin Green. I like the yellow undertone that shows through, it looks more organic than the other two. Goblin Green is a great high-contrast "cartoony" look, if that's what you're going for. There's certainly nothing wrong with any combination; it's all about finding what colors look best for you.

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

A Looted Wagon is a Heavy Support option for your Ork army. I think they're awesome, but not many people agree with me. Let's take a closer look at this unit.

Operated by typical Boyz, the BS is 2. Armour is F:11, S11, R:10. It's not great, that's for sure. Especially compared to the likes of a Battlewagon or a Deff Dread.

Why, then, should anyone want one? Well, I can think of 3 reasons.

1.) The Boomgun. This is the only vehicle that can take a Boomgun, and it's the best gun in the army. 36" range, S8, AP3, Ordnance 1, Large Blast. It beats the Battlewagon's Killkannon with both a better strength and a longer range. That's a scary gun. This is what happens when you Imperials bring your game-treads and blow the smithereens out of some Boyz. Some Mek on a hill points at your shiny tank and drools "I Want."

2.) It's cheap. Just the wagon alone is 35 points. Give it a Boomgun and it's 105. Add a 'ard case and it's 115. That's really all you need. Sit that bad-boy off a ways and let it bombard them from afar. Bring along some other scary units to get close to your opponent and keep his/her focus (like a Battlewagon or a Deff Dread), and all the better.

3.) Alternative transport. It's transport capacity is the same as a Trukk (given you don't take the Boomgun)... and it costs the same as a Trukk. It may not be Fast like a Trukk, but it has better armour and doesn't have "Ramshackle" like a Trukk. It's a tough choice taking a Looted Wagon as a transport, since it will take up a Heavy Support slot, but if you want to mechanize your army (i.e. Speed Freekz), some units aren't allowed dedicated transports; this might allow you to take a unit of Tankbustas or Burna Boyz and not leave them behind to footslog. They can just hop in the Wagon. "Another thing that worked relatively well for me was a Looted Wagon with Skorcha carrying a squad of Burnas. The Skorcha rarely got to fire, but it scared enough people to make them want to blow it up, and by the time they did I either destroyed them with my burnas in shooting or held off on shooting and rushed in with power weapons."(Thanks Kevin of Terran Forge) Unlike the Boomgun, a Skorcha doesn't remove your transport capacity, allowing for an interesting combination.

The downsides of a Looted Wagon

Look at the thing; it's busted up. It's alien technology and it's been broken at least once already. She's got some bugs.

Low Armour for a "tank." Fluff-wise it makes a kind of sense. She's already been mistreated by the Tankbustas, supposedly. It won't stand up to much. Hopefully, this is offset somewhat by the range of that Boomgun. Don't go tank-shocking with her; leave that to your Deff Rolla Battlewagons. Also, taking a 'ard case for 10 points will get rid of that "Open-Topped" rule, allowing you a little more resilience.

"Don't Press Dat!" Fluff-wise, this one's there for the alien technology part. At the beginning of every turn, you roll a d6 to test for this. A 2+ means "business as usual." A roll of 1 means that the Wagon must move directly forward as far as it can (12") as "the Orks inside get carried away." ... see, it's little rules like that that make me love the Orks (Shokk Attack Guns also rule for the same reason). Yeah, it's a pain, but your trade-off is a friggin' Boomgun!

Upgrades

There are lots of upgrades, meaning that your Looted Wagon can quickly become very expensive. Only pick the ones you need, keep your points down, and your Looted Wagon will have a better chance of earning her keep.

Main Weapon: You can choose between a Boomgun (70 pts) or a Scorcha (15 pts). You already know which one I like.

Secondary Weapons: You can take up to two of these: Big Shoota (5 pts), Rokkit Launcha (10 pts)

Auxiliary: You can take any of these. This is where things can really add up.

'ard case is a good one to take no matter what. Paint job, riggers, chukkas, plates are all great for beefing up a Transport. If you're taking the Boomgun, it doesn't matter about the speed, the immobilize, Crew Stunned, or disembarkers (you won't have any). The plank, ball, ram and klaw are all toys. Take 'em if you like 'em, by all means ... but they're not necessary.

Compared to a Battlewagon

Battlewagons are awesome too, don't get me wrong. A Looted Wagon with a Boomgun is more of an Artillery unit than a Battlewagon. If you're used to IG, think of the Looted Wagon as a Basilisk and the Battlewagon as a Leman Russ. They're both useful, but in different ways. A Looted Wagon is much more fragile, yet has a more powerful gun. The Battlewagon is meant to be in the thick of things, tank-shocking and firing off that Killkannon like it's trying to be a Land Raider or something. The Looted Wagon is also the poor Ork's Heavy Support. With a Boomgun, it's only 105 points. A Battlewagon with Killkannon is 150. That's an extra 45 points. What can that buy you? Well, another Killa Kan... or another Deffkopta... or another Warbiker/Warbuggy/ 3 more Stormboyz/A Trukk/16 Gretchin/7 more Boyz/4 more Kommandos/3 more Lootas/3 Tankbustas/3 Burna Boyz/Another Meganob/2 more Nobz or a Big Mek. In an Ork army, 45 points is a lot.

OK, all that having been said, here are a couple highlights of the model pictured, starting with my "Stikkbomb Chukka"

I assembled this guy before the codex came out, it had been sitting on my desk for a while. If I had waited, I wouldn't have had a Stikkbomb Chukka on my Boomgun-Wagon ... as there's no passengers to pass the benefit to, so it's purely cosmetic on this guy.

Also, since I am collecting an Evil Sunz army, I will take Red Paint Job to keep things fluffy. When my Lootas go a little crazy with pulling the wrong levers they'll lurch forward an extra inch. ;)

I think my favorite detail on the wagon is the pistol mounted to the side of the turret:

One of the Meks stuffed a grot in that side compartment. His job is to keep shooting that gun (even though he can't see anything). When the Boyz hear he's out of ammo, they open the hatch and pour some more bullets into the bucket. The belt-feeder takes them to the grot-blasta.